With many skipping out on Halloween fun last year due to the pandemic, Halloween 2021 is gearing up to be a great one. Many are ready to return to one of my favorite yearly traditions, neighborhood trick-or-treating. While I’m looking forward to enjoying Halloween this year, it will be really important to ensure we have a safe and happy Halloween, which includes complying with a few health and safety measures.

How to Have a Safe Halloween

Make yourself seen

Halloween is all about showcasing a cool costume while cruising for candy. Be sure you also include reflective tape, glow sticks, or flashlights to ensure you’re seen by vehicle traffic while out and about.

Keep a safe distance

It will certainly be hard to resist the urge to congregate and get near one another this holiday; however, it’s important to limit the number of people in your trick-or-treating group and, if possible, only venture out with other members of your household. Be sure to allow 6 feet of distance between parties and whenever possible, allow families already at a house to complete their trick-or-treating before approaching with your crew.

{Read More: A Dallas Guide to Halloween and Trick-or-Treating}

Stay alert

As a blogging-, picture-taking mom, it’s sometimes hard to resist whipping out my phone to capture all the cute little moments as they happen, but it’s important to be vigilant and alert on Halloween. Keep your head up and stay hands-free to catch those quick little ones and enjoy living in the moment. I’d suggest capturing photos before leaving home and at strategic points throughout the night, like in front of a super cool lawn display.

Save the treats for home

Instruct your children to save all their candy-eating for when they get home. This ensures you have a chance to thoroughly inspect all the goodies. Make sure everything is individually wrapped and properly sealed before allowing your little ones to indulge.

Keep your hands clean

Be sure to bring along sanitizer or hand wipes to keep your hands clean throughout the night. If you’re planning to stay in and pass out treats, be sure your hands remain clean throughout the night or offer sanitizer to visiting trick-or-treaters.

If you’re on the fence about trick-or-treating this year or simply prefer to try something new, consider the following options:

Reverse trick-or-treating

Work with friends, family, and/or a group of neighbors to make this one happen. Simply dress the kids up and have them hang out in the front yard. Your crew can drive by to admire their cool costumes and throw candy out on the lawn for your children to grab. This is a fun way to ensure your children have a fun Halloween without any worries that come with traveling door to door.

Trick-or-Treat Easter style

Consider hiding Halloween candy in eggs and have your children to search the house or yard for candy treasure! Kids love a good game of hide-and-seek. This one is sure to please the little ones.

Driveway trick-or-treating

Set up a table at the end of your front driveway or in your front yard. This eliminates having strangers close to your front door or entryway and allows more space for people to safely gather candy.

This year Halloween is all about keeping everyone safe while also enjoying a beloved tradition. Don’t feel pressured to participate in anything you don’t feel comfortable with, and remember, it’s never wrong to put the health and safety of the ones you love most first.

Happy Halloween!